


Haunted

by ArtemisLiCa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-01-12
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2017-10-14 16:53:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/151434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisLiCa/pseuds/ArtemisLiCa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry knew his last year at Hogwarts was going to be stressful. In addition to studying for NEWTs, he still had to find a way to get rid of Voldemort. But when Voldemort botches an ancient spell, Harry has to figure out how to deal with the added stress of the constant presence of a certain Potions Master...who insists he is NOT a ghost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. NOT a Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** Okay, so I know I _really_ shouldn't be starting a new story before finishing one of the WIPs I have going, but I was really in the mood to write a HP/SS story and I only have two HP/DM stories and a SS/HP/LM story posted. And I've been wanting to do this story for a long time now. This was actually the first idea I had for a HP fanfic, but I just never got around to writing it.
> 
> I promise I will finish ALL of my stories! With so many started though, I make no promises on how often any particular story will be updated. I have about half of the next chapter written for each of my stories, I just haven't decided which one I will focus on next.
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy this story!

Harry was asleep in his room at Number 12 when he felt the air in the room change. He couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. He just suddenly woke with the knowledge that he was no longer alone. He felt whoever was in the room with him move closer and without thought he leapt out of bed, grabbed his wand, and turned and pointed it in the direction of whoever it was-all in one smooth movement.

“Is this the greeting you routinely give guests, Potter? It would certainly explain the chill between you and Miss Weasley recently,” a dark voice said.

Harry scowled as he recognized the voice and the shape standing in the shadows of his room. His scowl disappeared into a loud yawn. “If I had known you had plans to drop by my bedroom, I assure you, Snape, I would have prepared a more appropriate welcome. I wouldn’t set off a dung-bomb in my bedroom, but I’m sure the twins could have helped me come up with something.”

The Potions Master sneered at Harry. “I find it difficult to believe that anyone besides the deluded Miss Weasley would willingly ‘drop by’ your bedroom, Potter.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “And yet here you are. In my bedroom.” Harry frowned. “ _Why_ are you in my bedroom, Snape?” Harry frowned harder when he felt his heart speed up at the growl Snape gave.

“As I said, Potter,” Snape said in his usual tone when speaking to Harry (that of speaking to a complete idiot), “I find it difficult to believe anyone would _willingly_ come to your bedroom. _Myself included_.”

The thought of Snape sneaking up to his bedroom to try to seduce him (as Ginny had) flashed across Harry’s mind. The thought lingered, strangely, for a long moment before the ridiculousness of the thought occurred to Harry. He snickered. _I really need to get more sleep_ , Harry thought, snickering again.

“Potter,” Snape snapped, “can you not pay attention for even the length of a brief conversation? How you managed to pass my class when you constantly daydream-”

“How I managed to pass your class when you can’t teach is what is shocking,” Harry interrupted.

“I shall be interested to see how you plan to pass the Potions NEWT without Miss Granger guiding you through the class and cramming your head with everything you should have learned throughout the year in the last week before the NEWTs. Tell me, Potter, have you considered what you will do when the Aurors refuse to accept you into the training program?” Snape asked silkily.

Harry glared and opened his mouth, but the glare disappeared as Harry blinked and then tilted his head. He squinted and then tilted his head the other way before saying, “Um, Snape? Why can I see through you?”

Harry had the brief pleasure of seeing Snape blink in surprise before Snape looked down at himself and scowled. “Perhaps, Potter, if you had stopped interrupting me, I might have-”

Harry scowled. “Snape, all I’ve interrupted was your complaints about who else might be visiting my bedroom.” Harry was halfway to the door before he realized he was only wearing his boxers. He shook his head and turned around and grabbed a pair of sleep pants he wore when he had to share a room with Ron or when at Hogwarts. He supposed he should be glad he had started wearing boxers to bed after the incident with Ginny. He laughed softly, wondering if the conversation he had had with Snape would have been any different if he had been sleeping nude as he did before Ginny’s little seduction attempt. Probably not. Harry hadn’t even noticed he was only wearing boxers. Snape shows up in his bedroom in the middle of the night, and happens to be transparent, and he and Snape completely ignore all of that and fall right into their usual arguing.

After slipping on his pants, Harry turned and headed for the door again. “Well,” Harry said, “Dumbledore is downstairs talking with some of the Order members. Let’s-”

“And you are not right in the middle of things?” Snape asked sarcastically. “As many meetings as you sneaked into, I would think-”

Harry rolled his eyes. “I know, _I know_. It’s just _so_ dreadfully shocking that I am passing up the chance to hear Hesta Jones and Dumbledore swap tips on dealing with their gout.” Harry shook his head and opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hallway. “And what the hell were you doing in my bedroom, anyway?”

“Harry?”

Harry turned and looked down the hall. Hermione and Ron were standing outside the room Hermione was using, looking at Harry.

“Thought you went to bed early, mate,” Ron said, blushing as Harry looked between the two of them and then at the door to Hermione’s room.

“I was,” Harry replied, rolling his eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping well since the incident with Ginny sneaking into his room. He would jerk awake at every little noise and look around his room in a panic. The first week after, he had had to get up and check to see that the door was still locked and that the closet held only clothes and that there was nothing (or more especially no _one_ ) under his bed before he could go back to sleep.

“Lazing about, Potter?” Snape asked archly. “Or did I interrupt your plans for the evening? Perhaps you were expecting Miss Weasley after all.”

Harry rolled his eyes and gave Snape an exasperated look. “Oh, would you _shut up_?!”

“Harry,” Hermione said. “Who are you talking to?”

Harry looked back at his friends and saw them giving him a funny look. He looked at them blankly, looked back at Snape scowling at Hermione and Ron and then looked back at his friends. He didn’t say a word, but put his hand out to the side and waved it in the air beside him.

“Potter!” Snape snapped, leaning out of the way of Harry’s hand.

“Neither of you heard anything just now?” Harry asked carefully.

Ron and Hermione shook their heads. Ron was looking at him like he had lost his mind and Hermione was looking extremely concerned. “Harry?” Hermione asked, just as carefully. “Are you feeling okay?”

Harry closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “You know, I figured out a long time ago that fate or God or who- or whatever hates me.” Harry opened his eyes and glared up at the ceiling above him. “But don’t you think this is going too far? I mean, wasn’t there someone, _anyone_ , else?”

“As amusing as it would be to let you continue to doubt your sanity, Potter-” Snape began, only to be interrupted by Hermione.

“Harry?” Hermione asked, a slight edge of panic slipping into her tone.

Harry lowered his head and looked at his friends. “I think I’m going to go see Dumbledore.” With that, Harry headed for the stairs, Snape, Ron and Hermione following after him.

Reaching the first floor, Harry went to the library where he had last seen Dumbledore. Harry frowned as he looked in and saw the room was empty. He turned and went down the stairs to the kitchen, hoping Dumbledore was just sitting in the kitchen with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rather than having headed back to Hogwarts.

Harry opened the door to the cheerful room. In the two years since Number 12 had become the Order Headquarters Molly Weasley had managed to transform the old house into a warm and cozy place to live. Once clean there was, surprisingly, even enough room for Harry and his friends to have their own rooms. The kitchen had been changed into a room as welcoming as the one at the Burrow.

Harry breathed a silent sigh of relief at seeing Dumbledore, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Professor McGonagall and Remus in the kitchen.

“Harry, dear, I thought you had gone up to sleep,” Mrs. Weasley said. She frowned as Ron and Hermione came into view behind Harry. “Hermione, what’s wrong?”

“Headmaster,” Harry said, “I think I have a problem.”

Snape snorted. “Only one?”

“Severus, my boy! What happened?” Dumbledore asked with a concerned frown.

“Severus?” McGonagall and Molly asked looking around the room for the Potions Master.

“You see him too, Headmaster?” Harry asked, sounding relieved.

“And why would you think that, Potter? Surely the fact that he greeted me by name and asked me a question didn’t give it away,” Snape said sarcastically.

Harry scowled at the man. “Would you just answer his question so that I can go back to sleep?”

Snape ignored Harry and turned to the Headmaster. “Albus, I was-Potter, what are you doing?” Snape demanded, glaring at Harry.

Harry had reached behind him and picked up a cooking implement of some kind and was prodding the air with it, enjoying the way it passed through the Potions Master’s shoulder with no resistance. “Well, Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, brushed by me once and his arm passed through mine. It was a really disgusting feeling, so I didn’t want to use my hand,” Harry said reasonably, hiding his smile.

“Snape’s a ghost?” Ron asked with a mixture of horror, disgust and curiosity in his voice.

“I am not a ghost!” Snape snapped.

“Good to know,” Harry said, putting the cooking thingy back where he had gotten it from. “’Cause it would be just my luck you’d come back just to haunt me.”

“I assure you, Potter-” Snape began with a sneer.

“Boys! Perhaps we could discuss why Severus is in his current state?” Dumbledore said.

“And why is Harry the only one besides the Headmaster that can see him?” Hermione said with a frown.

Snape folded his arms across his chest and turned his back on Harry and focused on the Headmaster. “Albus, I was invited to a…‘small get-together’ the Dark Lord was having. Obviously refusing was not an option and I had thought to see what I might learn that could be useful to the Order.” Snape scowled. “We gathered in a clearing in the woods near a small lake. The Dark Lord announced that he had found a way to locate Potter. He bragged about unearthing an ancient spell and told us we were privileged to see the spell performed for the first time in several centuries.” Snape’s scowled fiercer for a moment at the words.

Harry snorted. He had been subjected to a few of Voldemort’s speeches and could only imagine the Death Eaters feared them almost as much as Voldemort’s rages.

“After some preparation and then several minutes of chanting, the Dark Lord suddenly turned to those of us gathered and said the only thing left was a sacrifice. He said he had chosen the perfect sacrifice, a spy for the Order. As soon as he turned to me, I attempted to Apparate away. I felt the spell hit me just as I disappeared. Rather than arriving at Hogwarts, I arrived upstairs,” Snape finished.

Harry straightened from where he had been leaning against the kitchen counter, suddenly tense. “So it worked. All he has to do is to try the spell again and he’s found me. The wards on this house, the Fidelius Charm, none of that mattered.”

As only Harry and Dumbledore had heard Snape, Harry’s words first confused and then alarmed the others in the kitchen. They talked over one another; all demanding to know what was going on. Dumbledore raised his hands and motioned for silence. Once the kitchen was quiet, he said, “That might not be true, Harry. It could only be that because those things would not have prevented Severus from entering the house that he was able to come here.”

“Why can only you and Harry see him, Headmaster?” Hermione cut in, practically vibrating with curiosity and annoyance at not knowing what was being said.

Dumbledore frowned and leaned back in his chair.

“Maybe he really is a ghost,” Ron said.

Harry suppressed a snicker at the growl Snape gave at Ron’s words.

“No, Severus is not a ghost,” Dumbledore said, continuing to frown. “The energy is wrong for a ghost. Severus, would you mind if I performed a few spells…?”

Harry yawned and blinked sleepily as the Headmaster performed spells and asked questions about the ritual Voldemort had performed. As the only one who could hear both sides of the conversation, Harry knew he would learn more than the others if he stayed, but between the nightmares about Voldemort and worries over Ginny sneaking into his room Harry had not been getting much sleep. When it got to the point that even the floor was starting to look like a comfortable place to spend the night, Harry knew he had to leave. He would have to trust that Hermione’s curiosity would lead her to get answers as to what was going on so that she could tell him later.

Harry stood quietly and moved towards the kitchen door. No one noticed him as they were all to focused on Dumbledore and trying to piece together what had happened from his side of the conversation. Harry gave a soft sigh as he closed the kitchen door behind him. Now that the brief flash of energy created by Snape’s sudden appearance and their arguments was gone, Harry wasn’t sure he could make it up all the flights of stairs between him and his bedroom.

Harry was jerked to a stop one step away from the kitchen door. He gasped and put a hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly. He glared and lowered his wand, which he had brought up automatically. “Snape, what are you doing? Weren’t you talking with the Headmaster?”

“And what are you doing out here? Sneaking off to get into more trouble?” Snape demanded.

“You came out here just to see what I was doing?” Harry asked. He rolled his eyes. Before he could say anything else, the kitchen door opened.

“Well, I believe that answers a few questions,” Dumbledore’s voice reached Harry and Snape in the hallway.

Harry groaned, rubbed his eyes and then turned and trudged back into the kitchen. He sighed heavily as he leaned against a counter. “Okay, what’s going on?” Harry asked, reaching up to rub his forehead.

The rest of the people in the kitchen turned to the Headmaster as well, waiting for his explanation. Dumbledore looked at them all gravely. “It appears that the spell Voldemort used was affected by at least two other spells in addition to Severus’ attempt to Apparate away. The result is that Severus’ spirit was torn from his body. However, his body is still alive and, it would appear, under a stasis spell. From what Severus has said, I believe it will be fairly easy to return his spirit to his body. The difficulty lies in removing the stasis spell and in finding his body.”

“Can’t you go to the site of the ritual and start the search there?” Harry asked.

“Of course, Potter. Why didn’t _we_ think of that?” Snape asked sarcastically.

“Voldemort used portkeys to transport the group of Death Eaters. And because of the spell Voldemort had used to try to locate Harry we can’t use the normal connection between a person’s soul and their body.” Dumbledore gave Harry and Snape sympathetic glances, causing them to share a horrified/resigned look. They were both too familiar with that look to believe anything good would follow.

“What is it, Albus?” Snape demanded.

“Well, it would appear that, because of Voldemort’s spell, your soul is drawn to Harry. And from what happened just now, I would venture to say that you will not be able to be in separate rooms for as long as this situation continues,” Dumbledore said. “I can not be certain, but it may also be impossible for you to be a certain distance apart.”

As those seated around the kitchen table stared at the Headmaster in horror, Harry turned around and looked in the cabinet behind him. He brought out an old, dusty bottle and a small glass. The sound of him opening the bottle was covered by Ron’s sudden outburst.

“What, even the _bathroom_?!” Ron shouted.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Dumbledore said with a trouble expression on his face.

“Harry! What are you doing?” Molly Weasley shrieked as she caught sight of Harry.

Harry finished his second shot of Firewhisky and poured a third as he answered her. “I rather think that, after everything that has happened to me since I started at Hogwarts, it should be more surprising that I haven’t been driven to drinking much sooner. And really, after everything that has happened in the last few _months_ , don’t you think I deserve a bit of a break?”

“Certainly,” Snape drawled as Harry upended the glass, “and as I can not leave the room you are in, I get to witness your hangover. Watching you spend the morning vomiting shall be most entertaining, I’m sure.”

Harry ignored Snape’s sarcasm and the disapproving stares he was getting.

“Well, there may be a solution to that issue,” Dumbledore said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him. “Severus’ bedroom has a private bathroom.” Dumbledore beamed at them as if offering a solution to all their problems. Seeing the blank stares he was getting, he continued, “Harry can stay in Severus’ room and he can lock the bedroom door and leave open the bathroom door. Severus can stay in the bedroom; Harry can use a silencing charm and have some privacy.”

“Headmaster,” Hermione cut in as if the matter was settled, “you still haven’t said why only you and Harry can see Professor Snape.”

“I believe it has to do with Voldemort’s spell. The spell was meant to locate Harry, which is why Harry can see him, and Severus was attempting to Apparate to me to inform me of what had happened, which is why I can see him. Voldemort is most likely the only other person who will be able to see Professor Snape, Miss Granger.” Dumbledore paused and frowned. “Though it is possible Moody’s eye may allow him to also see Severus.”

“Headmaster,” Hermione said in horror. “We are taking NEWTs this year and Harry is taking the Potions NEWT! We have to figure something out before NEWTs!”

Harry looked at his best friend in disbelief. Not only was she suggesting that _he_ would cheat on his NEWTs, but she was suggesting he would gets Snape’s help to do so! “Yes, Hermione, because _Snape_ is going to help **_me_** cheat on my NEWTs. Because, you know, I couldn’t _possibly_ pass them on my own,” Harry said with a glare.

Hermione bit her lip and looked ashamed. Briefly. “Oh, Harry, you know I would never think that! It’s just, it wouldn’t be _fair_.”

Harry stared at her. Since when had his life ever been fair? And, with what was happening to him, how could she worry about NEWTs? They were almost a full year away! Harry quickly drank another glass of Firewhisky.

“Geez, ‘Mione, if Harry has to put up with having _Snape_ around that long, I’d think it’s the least he could get out of it,” Ron said, horrified on Harry’s behalf.

As Ron and Hermione began arguing quietly, the others turned back to the Headmaster. McGonagall, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all brought up concerns of how this was going to affect Harry, especially in his last year at Hogwarts. Harry watched Snape stand off to the side with a sneer on his face as he was ignored. As Harry started to pour himself yet another drink, it occurred to him that Snape might be right about the hangover.

While everyone else was distracted, not paying any attention to him _or_ Snape, Harry slowly made his way around the kitchen. Even Snape was too busy sneering at the others to notice Harry’s movements. Reaching the side of the kitchen opposite the door leading upstairs, Harry slipped into the short hallway and walked past the pantry and to the door that led to Snape’s private potions lab at Grimmauld Place.

Harry faced the door warded with all kinds of nasty spells and pulled out his wand. Snape may have been especially careful in warding this door, determined to keep Harry and his friends out, but Harry had learned a few interesting things recently while doing some research of his own. It seems that nowhere is ever out of bounds for the owner of places like Number 12 or Malfoy Manor or such other estates or buildings passed down for generations.

A wordless command and a purposeful flick of his wand and Harry had the door to the potions lab opened. He looked over his shoulder, but no one had noticed his absence yet. He stepped inside. Snape appeared in front of him the second the door closed, glaring at him.

“What are you doing in here, Potter?” Snape’s eyes narrowed. “And how did you get past my wards?”

Before Harry could answer, he heard footsteps coming down the hall. “Harry?” Mrs. Weasley’s voice called out. “Harry, what are you doing?”

Harry face the door and, in addition to replacing the wards he had removed to enter, put in place two locking charms and a silencing charm that he had come across after Ginny’s little seduction attempt. When the sound of Mrs. Weasley’s voice cut off, Harry turned back to the glaring Potions Master.

“I hope you are a better teacher as a ghost or I may end up blowing up your lab,” Harry said, turning to look around the room he had not been in since Snape had taken it over.

One side of the large room was a complete lab with shelves and cabinets of ingredients and equipment. The other side of the room actually looked quite comfortable. There was a sitting area around a large fireplace with a comfortable looking armchair and a big sofa and a full bookcase in the corner. There was a double bed that looked very soft and one whole corner of the room was filled with shelves and cases full of books with a neatly organized desk to one side.

Harry turned back to Snape to see the man giving him a look of disbelief and disdain.

“What kind of trouble are you planning on getting into now, Potter?” Snape asked suspiciously.

Harry shrugged. “I just figured you were right about that hangover and teaching me to make a hangover cure should be easy enough even for you. I mean, you _are_ supposed to be a Potions Master.”

Snape looked like he didn’t know whether to glare at Harry or laugh at him. “And what makes you think I would help you?” Snape asked.

Harry looked around the neat, organized potions lab and then looked back at Snape. “How long do you think it would take you to get everything back the way you want it after I’m done rearranging things?”

Snape narrowed his eyes and stayed silent. Harry shrugged and walked over to a cabinet in the lab side of the room. He opened the cabinet and took out a jar of something with one hand. As he reached for a vial on the top shelf with his other hand, Snape spoke.

“The potion for curing hangovers requires neither of those ingredients,” Snape said coldly.

Harry put the items back where they went and turned to Snape expectantly. For the next hour, it was silent in the room except for Snape giving Harry directions on creating the potion. Harry was getting too tired to even argue and only wanted to finish the potion before he went to sleep.

They discovered that not only could Snape not interact physically with objects, but he was also unable to perform spells in his present state. They found this out when Snape attempted to open one of the cabinets he kept warded. He grudgingly told Harry how to open it and muttered about making sure he changed all of his wards when he was back in his body.

Finally, when the potion was finished, Harry set the vial on the small end table next to the sofa and turned to Snape. There was no way Harry was sleeping in Snape’s bed, that would just be creepy, and he was way too tired to make it back upstairs to his bedroom. He asked about extra blankets and was directed to a small chest he hadn’t noticed before. He pulled out a blanket and a pillow and stretched out on the sofa.

“Oh, and Snape?” Harry asked as he yawned and kicked off the sleep pants he had put on. “If you made me make something other than a hangover cure, I can still rearrange your lab later.”

Harry heard Snape snort and fell asleep to the sounds of the man’s angry muttering.


	2. Difficult Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted. I'm focusing on another of my stories at the moment (Soothing Apathy) and I had a little trouble with this chapter and the next (which is almost done, I swear!).

Severus glared down at the insolent brat sleeping on his sofa. He turned on his heel and the vial on the end table caught his eye. Severus smirked and then continued to the side of the room he used as an office.

  


Three frustrating hours later, Severus paced in front of the fireplace and resisted the urge to growl in annoyance. Without the ability to use his magic or to interact physically with anything, there was little else he could do. Given this frustrating fact, Severus wasn’t certain yet that he wanted to consider it a good thing that he felt no need for sleep. Indeed, he felt none of the usual needs. There was no hunger or thirst, no need for sleep or rest. Even after hours of pacing, Severus felt no need to stop or sit or rest.

  


Severus stopped in his pacing to consider that. It certainly made sense as he was presently incorporeal. He scowled as he remembered the foolish Weasley boy suggesting he was a ghost. Before Severus could think of a truly satisfying insult for the boy, his attention was drawn to the sofa.

  


Potter gave another grunt of dissatisfaction and flopped over onto his back, flinging one arm up over his head. He looked seconds away from falling onto the floor. As Severus’ gaze swept over the boy, he grudgingly admitted to himself that the boy no longer reminded him of James Potter. Especially with the changes of the last few months.

  


The boy had had a growth spurt over the beginning of the summer and had filled out somewhat in addition to growing taller. He would never be tall or beefy like his friend Weasley, but he no longer looked one meal away from wasting away. His slender frame was lightly muscled and far more athletic than his father’s had been. Even after years of Quidditch, James Potter remained thin and lanky.

  


The messy black hair remained, but Potter no longer wore it long enough to cover the scar on his forehead. Without the long hair, his face lost the edge of softness that had kept him looking years younger than his classmates. It was also more obvious that many of his features came from his mother.

  


Severus’ gaze caught on the newest changes in the boy: three small, pale white scars on his face. The small crescent shaped scar at the corner of his right eye almost looked intentional, like some kind of strange beauty mark. The smallest, a simple line high across his cheek was barely noticeable at all. The last, the most noticeable, was the scar going through his left eyebrow.

  


Having the Dark Lord attack on the boy’s birthday, the moment the wards on his muggle relatives’ house fell, was not unexpected. The Order would have foreseen the possibility even if Severus had not told them of the Dark Lord’s specific plans. As far as Severus was concerned, it was not even all that surprising that the plan to remove Potter without drawing the Dark Lord’s attention failed. It was quite a surprise, however, when it was one of the supposedly loyal Order members who had cast the curse that shattered Potter’s glasses and nearly blinded him.

  


After Severus, in his role as loyal Death Eater, killed the Order’s traitor under the guise of attempting to kill Potter, he found himself waiting with Albus, Minerva and a herd of Weasleys while the Healers worked on the boy.

  


Besides the scars, and the pain of the injury, it was actually a nice bit of luck for the brat. One of the Healers that had treated the injury specialized in optometric magic. Not only did the boy manage to keep his vision, but once the Healers were done, he no longer needed to wear glasses.

  


Severus snorted and returned his mind to the present and his catalogue of the differences between James Potter and Harry Potter. His gaze drifted over Potter’s face and then over his toned body once more. No, the brat no longer reminded him of James Potter physically.

  


Suddenly, Severus glared. Potter was still, however, a reckless Gryffindor and an annoyance in his own right. Severus snorted again and turned away.

  


************************************

  


Harry woke with his head pounding, his mouth feeling like it was full of sand and bile trying to crawl up his throat. Every _thought_ seemed to make the nausea worse. As he lay there in pain, Harry reflected that, while unpleasant and not an experience to repeat often, hangovers weren’t really so bad. He’d felt worse after the most pleasant of the visions he’d had of Voldemort.

  


Moving slowly, Harry moved the arm he had flung over his head slightly to the left, feeling around on the end table for the vial he had left there the night before. As his hand closed around the vial, he stilled for a moment and then pulled the vial towards him. He opened one eye just enough to see to remove the vial’s stopper and he had to bite his lip to muffle a moan of pain. The soft light of the fire seemed unnaturally bright. After the moment of pain passed, Harry gulped down the potion.

  


He grimaced at the taste and waited for the potion to take effect. Finally, as the pain eased and his stomach settled, Harry sighed and sat up. His mouth was still dry, but that was easily fixed. Rubbing a hand over his face to try to wake himself up a bit, Harry felt the weight of someone’s gaze on him. Harry opened his eyes to see who had been staring at him. He grimaced at the sight of Snape standing next to the fireplace watching him.

  


“For a moment, I was certain you were going to knock the vial onto the floor and I was going to get to watch you spend the morning vomiting after all,” Snape drawled.

  


Harry rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the ache he’d gotten from sleeping on the sofa. “Actually, you’d have watched me stumble around, most likely making a mess of your neat lab, as I tried to brew the potion again.”

  


Severus smirked. “Well, if it came to that, I suppose I could have just directed you to the cabinet I keep stocked with such basic potions as Pepper-Up, Calming Draught, Dreamless Sleep and…Hangover Cure.”

  


Harry briefly debated walking across the room and rearranging the lab after all. Almost as if he could see the thought cross Harry’s mind, Snape raised a brow and said, “You asked that I teach you how to brew the potion, Potter. That is exactly what I did.”

  


Harry scowled and stood and stretched. Rather than respond to the Potions Master’s comment, Harry said, “I’m going to see what Dumbledore and the others might have learned last night.” As he slipped his sleep pants on, Harry frowned and said, mostly to himself, “I can ask Hermione what was discussed after I left. I’m sure she would have stayed and made sure to find out everything she could.”

  


“Yes, Miss Granger would be horrified if she so much as missed Albus sneezing,” Snape sneered.

  


Harry kept silent on the general principle of never agreeing with Snape, but he couldn’t help admitting, to himself at least, that he had had similar thoughts. Harry scowled as he remembered her comments from the night before. Maybe he’d try to talk to Remus instead.

  


As Harry let himself out of the lab, his stomach growled. He gave a small sigh of relief when the smell of Mrs. Weasley’s cooking reached him.

  


As soon as Harry stepped into the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley turned and hurried over to him. “Harry? How are you feeling? You gave me quite a fright young man!” She probably would have continued for sometime, but Harry’s stomach growled again. Mrs. Weasley frowned and gently pushed Harry into a seat at the table. “Sit down, Harry and I’ll get you something to eat.”

  


Harry sighed and said gratefully, “Thanks, Mrs. Weasley.”

  


“Harry, my boy. How are you doing this morning?”

  


Harry turned to see the Headmaster sitting at the other end of the table. He frowned at the old man. Ignoring the question, Harry asked, “Headmaster, have you figured out how to…” Harry waved his arm vaguely, trying to indicate the situation he found himself in.

  


“Ah yes, Potter. How wonderfully eloquent you are this morning!” Snape sneered.

  


Harry turned to Snape, but before he could tell the man to fuck off, Dumbledore said, “I’m afraid we do not yet have a solution to the situation. However, we have discussed several ways to try to make this more bearable for the two of you in the meantime. Though, if you don’t mind coming to the library after you’ve finished your breakfast, Harry, I would like to speak with Severus.”

  


“Of course, Headmaster,” Harry said, ignoring the slight reprimand in the old man’s tone. It’s not like anyone had been paying any attention to either him or Snape last night when he left. He wouldn’t have been able to sneak away if they had.

  


Snape sneered, but moved down to the other end of the table to speak with the Headmaster while Harry ate his breakfast. After a few moments, Dumbledore stood and left. Harry assumed he was headed up to the library.

  


Harry took his time, even asking for seconds. He enjoyed the impatient glare Snape sent him. Finally though, he couldn’t take another bite without making himself sick. Slowly he stood. Just to annoy Snape, Harry took his dishes to the sink and pecked a kiss on Mrs. Weasley’s cheek.

  


“Thanks for breakfast,” Harry said.

  


Mrs. Weasley smiled kindly at him. “Of course, dear.”

  


Harry leaned against the counter next to where Mrs. Weasley was cooking. “I’m surprised Ron and Hermione aren’t down yet,” Harry said casually.

  


“Actually, Harry, you are up quite early,” Mrs. Weasley said.

  


Harry frowned and checked the time. He blinked when he saw that it was only just turning six. Well, it had still been early when he had gone to sleep in the lab. Harry frowned harder as he thought of how well rested he felt this morning. He hadn’t slept that well, or that long without waking, in over a year. At least.

  


“Potter!” Snape barked.

  


Harry turned and gave him a questioning look. He smothered a smile when Snape glared more fiercely.

  


“I would think, Potter, that you would wish to be freed from this intolerable situation just as much as I,” Snape said darkly.

  


“Of course,” Harry said. He motioned towards the door. “After you.” Snape glared. Harry just smiled innocently and said, “Oh, that’s right.” He opened the door and went up stairs to find Dumbledore.

  


***********************************

  


Upstairs in the library Harry found not only the Headmaster, but also Professor McGonagall and Remus.

  


“Ah Harry!” Dumbledore said cheerfully.

  


“Good morning, Mr. Potter,” McGonagall said.

  


“Good morning, Harry,” Remus said.

  


Harry nodded to them and then flopped down on the sofa next to Remus. “Morning.”

  


“Before I return to my discussion with Severus, I think we should discuss the upcoming school year, Harry,” Dumbledore began. The kind tone of voice he used alerted Harry to the fact that he was not going to like what was about to be said.

  


“What is it?” Harry asked, resigned.

  


“It is only a couple of weeks until the beginning of the term and we must be prepared for the fact that the situation with Severus may not be fixed before school begins,” Dumbledore said. “After speaking with Minerva, we have decided on a few…changes.

  


“It is doubtful that you will be able to play Quidditch with the current situation as it is, so obviously being Quidditch captain will not be possible for you. However, we thought you might like to be Head Boy this year. It has the added benefit of a having a private room. Also-”

  


“Wait, what? No way. You can’t do that! Ron has already gotten the letter naming him Head Boy! And how do we know I can’t play Quidditch? I think we should at least let me go to the Burrow and take a fly around the garden to see if there’s any reason I can’t play before you say I can’t play!” Harry said.

  


“Harry, I realized this is difficult, but given the situation-” Dumbledore began.

  


“I’m not going to be Head Boy,” Harry said flatly. “I am not taking that away from Ron. If living in the dorms becomes a problem, you’ll just have to come up with a different excuse to give me my own room. And I’m not giving up Quidditch if I don’t have to!”

  


“Of course, Potter! Everything is always about you! And certainly nothing is as important as what _you_ want,” Severus sneered.

  


Harry’s brows rose and he turned to Dumbledore. “And what about Snape? Have you decided who will be replacing him as Potions professor?” Harry asked coolly, resisting the urge to smile maliciously at the scowl that came to Snape’s face.

  


“Actually, we were fortunate in that a Beauxbatons graduate recently received a Mastery in Potions and had applied to Hogwarts for a position as Severus’ assistant. She is scheduled to arrive three days before the term begins. If we have not reunited Severus with his body by that time I will ask her to take over Severus’ classes,” Dumbledore said.

  


Harry watched Snape scowl intensify, but the man remained silent. “What about returning his magic to him?” Harry asked. “We found out last night that he can’t use magic as well as being unable to interact physically.”

  


“Hmm, perhaps…” Dumbledore said.

  


Harry sat back and listened as Dumbledore and Snape began talking. McGonagall and Remus tried to interject ideas, but it was difficult as they could only hear one side of the discussion. After a while, Remus turned to Harry.

  


“How are you holding up, Harry?” Remus asked quietly.

  


Harry sighed. “As well as can be expected, I suppose. I just wish it had been someone else. _Anyone_ else,” Harry said, glaring at the Potions Master.

  


Remus chuckled softly. “Even one of the Malfoys?”

  


Harry turned back to Remus. “Okay, now that was just uncalled for.” Still a small smile tugged at his lips.

  


Remus chuckled again. Then he sobered. “Well, you have certainly had an eventful summer, Harry. First your birthday, then the Ministry…”

  


Harry snorted, but then his eyes filled with pain. “I’m just glad that Mr. Weasley wasn’t more seriously hurt when they attacked us.”

  


“No one imagined they would act so openly in the Ministry, especially in such a public area,” Remus said. “And Arthur had given everyone the impression that the appointment was for Ron. They had no reason to think you would be there, Harry.”

  


Harry shook his head and looked away. It had been Mr. Weasley’s idea to take Harry for his Apparition test. He had wanted to cheer Harry up after he spent nearly a month in St. Mungo’s after the attack on his birthday. Harry didn’t sleep for even a moment the entire three days Mr. Weasley had spent in St. Mungo’s.

  


The first thing Mr. Weasley had said when he was finally allowed visitors was: “At least they waited until after you passed your test, Harry!” He had then grinned at Harry. He refused to let Harry apologize or take any blame for the attack. Mrs. Weasley would have none of it either.

  


“Though, given what happened only a couple weeks ago, I’d say this is a bit much even for you, Harry,” Remus said in a slightly teasing tone.

  


Harry shook his head. “To think, the last month I spent with my horrible Muggle relatives would be the best part of the summer!”

  


Voldemort seemed to be getting desperate to get Harry.

  


After the attack on Harry’s birthday and the attack at the Ministry, Voldemort had tried to attack the Burrow. But rather than send a group of Death Eaters, Voldemort decided to send some of his recent allies. Vampires roaming the streets of Ottery St. Catchpole preventing any of the other residents from coming to the Weasley’s aid while Greyback’s pack waited on the edges of the Burrow’s wards for the few Death Eaters present to take down the wards.

  


Apparently, while Greyback was the only werewolf ever to be able to transform at will, as the alpha of his pack he was able to force his pack to change even when the moon wasn’t full. And on nights other than the full moon, Greyback had enough control to choose a target to attack.

  


Everyone in the Burrow felt the wards go down. Hermione had the presence of mind to send her Patronus for help. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley focused on getting everyone down to the kitchen and sent through the Floo to Grimmauld Place. They had managed to get Ginny, Hermione and Ron through before the werewolves reached the Burrow.

  


Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Harry were the only ones left and they started flinging hexes and curses at the werewolves as soon as they burst through the door and windows. There was no time to send anyone else through the Floo and they had no choice but to retreat upstairs as they fought.

  


A werewolf managed to knock Bill’s feet out from under him when he jumped to place himself in front of his mother. The werewolf jumped on Bill and raked him with its claws. At the sight of Bill’s blood, Harry suddenly felt strangely calm and for the first time he successfully used the Killing Curse.

  


As the werewolf fell, Greyback himself appeared in front of Harry. Harry didn’t know if he could have cast the Killing Curse again, but fortunately he didn’t have to. At that moment, Order members arrived and Greyback and his pack ran off.

  


Harry was grateful that the strange calmness he felt lasted long enough to get Bill to St. Mungo’s. As they waited while the Healers worked on healing Bill, Harry suddenly felt sick and shaken at what he had done.

  


He had never loved Mr. and Mrs. Weasley more than the moment they crushed him between them and hugged him tight. He nearly broke down in tears when they began murmuring reassuringly to him, telling him he’d only done what he had had to do and that he had saved Bill’s life.

  


An hour later, two hard faced Aurors appeared to question them on the events that had taken place at the Burrow. Without hesitation, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stated that the Killing Curse had been from one of those attacking the Burrow. It was only their good fortune, they said, that the werewolf jumped on Bill at that moment and took the Curse in Bill’s place.

  


The Aurors had looked at the shaken, sick look on Harry’s face and nodded. They smoothly said that in such situations it was standard protocol to use _Priory Incantato_ to see what spell a wand last performed, but obviously without the enemies’ wand that would be of no use in this case. They would put in the reports the spells they had said they’d used, but if anyone asked, they followed protocol, right?

  


Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave the Aurors somber, grateful looks and the Aurors nodded. Before leaving, one said quietly to Harry, “Personally, I think you showed great restraint. A werewolf attacking anyone _I_ cared about probably would have faced the Killing Curse from me and not gotten caught by friendly fire.” Harry had nodded, grateful for the reassurance the Auror had offered.

  


It was five hours after the Aurors had left that the Healers finally came from Bill’s room. The werewolf that had attacked Bill had caught him just under his left ear and raked its claws down across Bill’s throat and down his chest. The Healers had managed to stop the blood loss and had healed Bill’s throat quickly enough that he faced no permanent damage.

  


The only thing that Bill had been left with as a result of the attack was scars. He was fortunate that he had not even caught the Lycanthropy virus from the attack. Apparently, Greyback was the only werewolf able to infect anyone outside nights of the full moon. Something about having the change forced on them by their alpha rather than the full moon kept the infecting agent from becoming active in the rest of Greyback’s pack.

  


They kept Bill a few more nights until the full moon just to be certain and everyone was relieved when he hadn’t changed. Bill had been released only a few days ago and he was staying at the Burrow to supervise the rebuilding and strengthening of the wards while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ron and Ginny stayed at Grimmauld Place.

  


Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had not liked that at all, but someone with Weasley blood needed to be present while the work on the wards was being done and as Bill had said, he was experienced with dangerous situations from his work as a Curse Breaker. Not to mention that Ron and Ginny needed their parents right now.

  


“Harry?” Remus asked, concern in his voice.

  


Harry blinked as he brought his mind back to the present. “Hmm?”

  


“I know you and Severus don’t exactly get along,” Remus began hesitantly. He laughed at the look of disbelief Harry gave him. “Yes, I realize that is quite the understatement.” Remus sobered. “But this won’t be permanent. We will find a way to fix this. And who knows? Maybe this will give you two a chance to…overcome your differences.”

  


Harry gave Remus a skeptical look. “Remy, if you really believe that-”

  


“I know, I know,” Remus said with a sigh and a dismissive wave of his hand. “In any case, perhaps you two could manage at least some kind of truce. This situation will be much easier on both of you if you can at least be civil,” he said seriously.

  


Harry sighed and looked over at Snape, who was glowing slightly as the Headmaster performed a spell on him. As the glow faded, Dumbledore frowned lightly and stroked his beard.

  


“And you said you felt none of the usual needs or urges? No hunger or thirst or need for rest?” Dumbledore asked thoughtfully.

  


“That’s right,” Severus replied, slightly impatiently.

  


“Hmm,” Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully.

  


“Albus?” Severus asked, frustration and impatience in his voice.

  


“That is likely due to both the separation of your soul from your body and the stasis spell on your body. I doubt that will change,” Dumbledore said.

  


“The lack of need for sleep would normally be a blessing, Albus, but if Severus cannot interact physically, use his magic or indeed even be seen by anyone but you and Harry, I would think it would be…frustrating to say the least,” McGonagall said.

  


“Indeed,” Severus drawled.

  


“Well, it may be easier to return Severus’ magic to him than to return his soul to his body. We can’t return his soul to his body until we find his body. However, a wizard’s magic is not something found in his body, but rather is closely connected to his soul,” Dumbledore said.

  


Harry frowned. “Yet one more reason that Pureblood rhetoric is just a load of-”

  


“Mr. Potter!” McGonagall said sternly.

  


Harry shrugged. “How long do you think it will take to at least return his magic to him then?”

  


“I can not be sure, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “We will work on both returning Severus’ soul to his body and returning his magic to him, but it may take some time before we are successful on either front.”

  


Harry looked around the library. “Well, I’d suggest having Hermione work on looking through the library here. She’d love to help and I don’t know anyone better at research.” Harry turned back to the Headmaster. “And I think I’ll go to the Burrow and have a fly.”

  


“Harry, the wards at the Burrow are still being worked on,” Remus said with a small frown. “It would not be safe for you to go there.”

  


“Well, no one would expect me to go there for that very reason,” Harry said reasonably. “Besides, Bill’s there and I wouldn’t be there very long. And shouldn’t we see if the Headmaster’s right about us not being a too far apart?”

  


“Perhaps it would be for the best,” Dumbledore said, earning him a disapproving look from McGonagall and a raised eyebrow from Snape. “The only other place we could have the room to test this out would be Hogwarts and we do not want to draw attention to this situation. At the Burrow it would seem as if Harry had sneaked out to have a fly.”

  


Harry remained silent, but he couldn’t help but think the only reason Dumbledore was agreeing was because he wanted to test out his theory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty please review!


	3. Fight or Flight

“Oh, there you are, Harry!” Hermione said. The occupants of the library turned to see the bushy haired witch hurry into the room. “You never came upstairs last night!” She walked over and sat down on the sofa next to Harry and turned to the Headmaster. “Have you found anything out, Headmaster?”

  


“No,” Harry said, irritated with his friend. “Actually, we had just agreed that it would be for the best if you would search through the library here at Number 12 for anything that might be helpful,” Harry said smoothly.

  


“Of course!” Hermione said, nearly bouncing in her seat. She stood up. “Maybe I should start right away!”

  


“Good idea,” Harry said. He stood as well. “I’ll just go take care of what we were discussing.” Harry nodded at Dumbledore, McGonagall and Remus.

  


“Actually, Harry, I believe I will come with you,” Dumbledore said. “Just to be safe.”

  


With his back to the room, Harry rolled his eyes. He kept his tone polite, however. “Of course.” _What happened to this looking like I sneaked out for a fly?_ Harry thought.

  


As Harry stepped out the door, he didn’t wait for Dumbledore. He closed his eyes, turned in place and Apparated to the Burrow. It was the first time he had Apparated since he had passed his Apparition test.

  


Arriving at the Burrow, Harry walked through the garden and up to the kitchen door. He knocked and called out, “Hello!”

  


Harry jumped back when the door swung open quickly and Bill appeared, pointing his wand at him. “Harry?” Bill asked, lowering his wand. “What are you doing here?”

  


“I’m supposed to have sneaked out to go for a fly,” Harry said. Just then, there was a ‘pop!’ from behind him. Harry saw the slight frown come to Bill’s face as the Headmaster walked up behind Harry.

  


“Severus, my boy? You are looking a bit pale,” Dumbledore said with concern.

  


“Snape?” Bill whispered to Harry, giving him a look at seeing the Headmaster seemingly talking to thin air.

  


Harry turned and saw that the Potions Master was looking extremely pale. There were little lines around his eyes, as well. Harry couldn’t decide if the man looked more as if he was in a great deal of pain or if he looked like he was going to be sick.

  


Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure how that worked as he was incorporeal, but it seemed to help. Opening his eyes, he addressed the Headmaster. “I believe it would be best if we were to Floo back to Grimmauld Place,” he managed smoothly, with a glare at the Potter brat.

  


Harry just raised his brows and turned back to Bill. “I think we should maybe go inside before we explain.”

  


Bill nodded and stepped back to let them in. Once inside and the door shut behind them, Bill watched the Headmaster once again address empty space.

  


“What was it like, Severus?” Dumbledore asked curiously.

  


Severus thought for a moment and then shook his head slowly. “I would not know how to explain it, Albus. Though part of the sensation felt rather like I was being pulled in different directions. I rather thought I might be pulled apart, but the pull towards Potter was the strongest by far.”

  


As the Headmaster pelted Snape with questions, Harry quickly explained the situation to Bill. Bill grimaced sympathetically and then looked around the room with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

  


Then he turned back to Harry and asked, “Well, since they’re talking why don’t I run up to Ron’s room and get your broom for you?”

  


Harry nodded. “That’d be great.”

  


By the time Bill returned, they had learned nothing new about the situation Harry and Severus were in beyond that Apparating should probably be avoided if possible. Harry had glared out the window when Dumbledore made his pronouncement.

  


When Bill came back into the kitchen, Harry was relieved. He grabbed his broom and headed out to the garden. He was on his broom and in the air before Dumbledore even crossed the threshold.

  


He did a few low circuits of the garden and when it seemed to have no effect on Snape, he let go and just flew around the garden. He lost himself in the joy of flying, pushing aside all thoughts of the events of the past few months and focusing on the air rushing past his face.

  


On the ground below, Severus schooled his face into an expressionless mask. The Headmaster was watching him intently as Potter flew higher and higher. Inside, behind his mask, Severus frowned.

  


Some unnamed emotion uncurled within his chest, growing stronger the farther away Potter flew and the longer he stayed away. Severus nearly scowled as the emotion hit him full force and he could finally put a name to it.

  


 _Anxiety_. Having Potter so far away was making him _anxious_. It was a completely ridiculous feeling, but it was too strong for Severus to lie to himself about it. The stronger it grew and the longer it lasted, the more Severus felt the urge to do something about it.

  


Strange thoughts entered his head. Thoughts of Potter falling or being hurt or suddenly being attacked by Death Eaters mixed with thoughts of demanding Potter come down or come closer, of walking to the center of the garden to be closer. Severus even had the passing thought of _hugging_ the brat when he finally finished his fly and came back over to where Severus was waiting with the Headmaster.

  


It was all Severus could do to keep his face expressionless and to keep from panting with his anxiety. By the time Potter landed, Severus was shaking inside from the force of the thoughts and emotions swirling within him.

  


Finally, Harry landed and walked back over to the three men waiting for him. Bill looked between him and the Headmaster curiously, while Snape scowled. Harry turned to the Headmaster expectantly.

  


“Well, it seems you will still be able to play Quidditch after all, Harry,” Dumbledore said brightly, as if things were working out as he had hoped all along. “I still think it might be a good idea for you to have a private room, however. It would give you and Severus a chance to interact without having to worry about others.”

  


Harry shrugged. “You know how I feel about your original idea,” Harry said, choosing his words carefully. He was not about to let Bill know Dumbledore had planned to take being Head Boy away from Ron. “And I don’t see why it should matter. It’s not like we are going to be having long conversations with each other or anything.”

  


Dumbledore frowned at Harry. “Harry, as the only one Severus can interact with on a regular basis-”

  


“He’s going to be just as eager to be rid of me as I am to be rid of him,” Harry cut in. “And I’m sure he’d rather face the boredom than to have to talk with me.”

  


“You say that as if you are even capable of having an intelligent conversation,” Severus sneered.

  


“There you go,” Harry said, gesturing to the sneering man. “We’re fine with the dorms.” Harry ignored the look Dumbledore gave him and turned to Bill. “So how are things coming along here?”

  


Bill took Harry’s broom and answered as they walked into the kitchen together. “It’s going good. Still going to be a while before the family can come back, but it will definitely be worth it in the end. I actually convinced one of the goblins I work with to add a few wards for us!”

  


“Wow! Really?” Harry asked, impressed.

  


Dumbledore cleared his throat after a few more minutes of conversation between Harry and Bill. “Harry, I think we should be heading back.”

  


Harry sighed and said his farewells to Bill. Then he stepped out into the garden and Apparated back to Number 12.

  


************************************

  


When Harry arrived back at Number 12, he headed straight for the library. As soon as he stepped into the room, he heard Snape bark out his name and he turned to the man with a glare. Seeing how pale the man looked and noticing those little lines around his eyes, Harry grimaced and said, “Sorry. I forgot.”

  


“Why am I not surprised?” Severus managed to sneer.

  


Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the library. Seeing Hermione sitting at a table to one side of the room, Harry headed in that direction.

  


“Hey, ’Mione. Did you find anything yet?” Harry asked, looking over her shoulder at the book she was looking through.

  


“Not yet,” she muttered distractedly.

  


When she started rambling about what happened to this wizard 300 years ago and what happened to that witch 150 years ago, Harry said, “Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”

  


He briefly considered trying to do some research of his own, but knowing Hermione would probably bite his head off if he took any books off the shelf (she might need them later after all) he decided to see if Mrs. Weasley was still in the kitchen. It was a good guess as the woman seemed to always be in the kitchen cooking, unless she was off somewhere cleaning.

  


As soon as Harry stepped into the kitchen, he was nearly knocked to the ground when Ginny threw herself at him. As soon as he was steady on his feet, Harry tried to put some distance between them, but Ginny was clinging to him and refused to let go.

  


“Oh, Harry! I heard all about it! How awful!” Ginny cried, pressing close.

  


Before Harry could say anything, Mrs. Weasley’s voice rang out. “Ginevra! Let go of the poor boy this instant!”

  


Ginny pouted, but pulled away. Harry sent Mrs. Weasley a grateful look to which Mrs. Weasley replied with a kind smile. Harry was surprised that Snape hadn’t made some kind of comment about Ginny’s actions and words, but a look at the man showed he was still suffering from the Apparition.

  


“Hey, mate. How’s it going?” Ron said, looking around uneasily.

  


Harry sighed. “No one has any idea how long we’ll be stuck like this, but at least I can still play Quidditch.”

  


“What?” Ron asked in horror. “They weren’t going to let you play Quidditch?”

  


Harry explained about the Headmaster’s theory that he and Snape couldn’t be a certain distance apart, carefully leaving out the part about going to the Burrow. Ron nodded and turned back to his snack. Harry watched Ron make excuses and practically run from the room when he was finished eating.

  


As Ginny moved closer, Harry looked up to see Snape smirking at his discomfort. Harry stood abruptly just before Ginny started to reach out and touch his arm. While Mrs. Weasley’s back was turned, Harry rushed to Snape’s private potions lab.

  


He breathed a sigh of relief as he reset the wards behind him.

  


“And what are you doing in my lab now, Potter?” Severus demanded with a glare.

  


Harry looked around the room. He had actually only wanted to escape, but the room had plenty of books. Surely there was something here that might help. “Do you think there could be anything in here that could help?” Harry said, nodding towards the bookshelves in the corner.

  


Severus glared at his bookshelves. “Nothing that you could understand and as I am currently unable to touch anything it is highly unlikely that anything can be found in here.”

  


Harry rolled his eyes, but as the insult seemed unintentional he decided to let it go. “I might not know what’s in the books, but I can touch them. Between the two of us it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll pick out any book you decide and I can turn pages for you. Anything to fix…this,” Harry said, gesturing between them.

  


Severus raised a brow. It was not an entirely worthless plan. After a moment, he nodded once and said, “Very well.” He walked over to his bookshelves, leaving Potter to follow.

  


Harry rolled his eyes and followed. He could tell this was going to be _fun_.

  


************************************

  


Two weeks later, no one was any closer to finding answers. Harry refused to sleep in Snape’s bed so he spent the nights on the sofa in Snape’s lab. He put off going to the bathroom as long as he could, but finally he did have to do as the Headmaster suggested and use Snape’s private bathroom.

  


Harry and Severus both hated it, but Harry at least admitted it could have been worse. Harry thought showering in Snape’s shower might be almost as creepy as sleeping in the man’s bed and he rushed though his showers each morning.

  


Hermione spent her every waking moment in the library at Number 12 while McGonagall and Remus looked in the library at Hogwarts for answers and Dumbledore did who knew what. Harry was annoyed with the way Ron was avoiding him, but he supposed he couldn’t really blame him.

  


Harry and Severus managed to work together with a minimum of arguing as they searched through the books in the lab. It was incredibly boring for Harry, but he tried not to mind since it gave him an excuse to be somewhere Ginny couldn’t follow.

  


The day when Harry and the others planned to go to Diagon Alley arrived and Harry was glad for the opportunity to get out of Number 12. However, that morning as Harry left the lab, he heard an argument in the kitchen. As soon as he stepped into the room, it fell silent.

  


Harry looked around, at Ron’s red face and defiant and guilty expression, at Ginny’s petulant look, and at Mrs. Weasley’s upset face and wringing hands and he just knew he wasn’t going to like what was going to be said.

  


“What’s going on?” Harry asked mildly.

  


When no one answered, Hermione rolled her eyes and stood. “We were just talking about who should go today. Ron doesn’t want to go and Mrs. Weasley said Ginny couldn’t go. The full moon is tonight and since Snape hasn’t been able to make his Wolfsbane potion, Remus is spending the day making sure the place he’s spending the night is secure.

  


“I went to Diagon Alley at the beginning of the summer so I don’t need to go and I thought I would spend the day in the library. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley can’t decide which one gets to go with you and which one is going to stay here with Ginny,” Hermione said.

  


Harry looked around the room with a blank expression on his face. Then he shrugged and said, “That’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”

  


He walked up the stairs, ignoring Mrs. Weasley calling after him. As soon as he made it to the sitting room, he headed straight for the fireplace. Without hesitating, Harry Floo straight to Fred and George’s apartment above their shop.

  


As Harry fell out of the fireplace, flailing his arms he briefly wondered if Snape had hated that as much as he did. Rather than falling on his face as was usual, Harry fell into a pair of muscular arms.

  


“Good to see you too, Harry,” George said, grinning down at him.

  


“Hiya, George. Where’s Fred?” Harry asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Fred walked into the room.

  


“Look what we have here, Fred!” George said.

  


“Harry!” Fred grinned and pulled him out of George’s arms and hugged him. “Good to see you!”

  


Harry opened his mouth to answer, but a snort from behind him had him looking over his shoulder.

  


“As reckless as ever, Potter,” Snape sneered.

  


Harry rolled his eyes. “So you’re fine with Flooing. Figures.”

  


“Harry?” Two voices asked.

  


Harry turned back to the twins. “You’ll never believe my luck.”

  


Harry told the twins about the situation with Snape. When he was finished, they shared a look and then started running around the room with their hands out in front of them.

  


“What are you doing?” Harry asked, trying not to laugh. Watching Snape jump out of their way and swear at them was hilarious.

  


The twins shared a look and then said together, “Trying to find Snape.”

  


“What?” Harry asked.

  


“We can’t see him or hear him,” Fred said.

  


“But we passed through Nick once to see what it was like,” George said.

  


“And there’s no mistaking the feeling of passing through a ghost,” Fred said.

  


“Damn Weasleys,” Severus muttered. “I am _not_ a ghost!”

  


Harry snickered. “Actually, Snape swears he’s not a ghost and the Headmaster said the energy was wrong for him to be a ghost.”

  


“Ah, well,” George said with a shrug.

  


“So what brought you here this morning, Harry?” Fred said.

  


Harry told them of the way Ron had been avoiding him and then of the argument in the kitchen at Number 12 that morning. “So, I thought I would just go by myself,” Harry finished.

  


Fred and George frowned at him. The sight was startling because of how rare it was to see the twins frown. Before anything more could be said, though, Harry’s stomach growled.

  


“And I missed breakfast,” Harry said, red-faced.

  


“Why don’t you join us for breakfast?” Fred asked.

  


“And we’ll go with you to get your supplies for school,” George said.

  


“I’ll firecall Mum,” Fred said.

  


Harry frowned and shook his head. “You two are needed at your shop. I can just-”

  


“Nonsense,” both twins said at once. “The girls can watch the shop.”

  


“For once, they are actually sounding sensible,” Severus drawled. “Will wonders never cease.”

  


***********************************

  


After breakfast, Harry and the twins and Snape left the flat above the twins shop. The twins had been the perfect choice as far as Harry was concerned. They were loud and amusing and he had no trouble ignoring the sneering, glaring man following them around Diagon Alley.

  


They managed to get Harry’s school supplies without any trouble. After Harry had everything he needed the twins insisted on stopping by both Madam Malkin’s and Chasm, a new store that specialized in Muggle clothing. Fred and George made Harry get an entirely new wardrobe, one that included both robes and a large amount of Muggle clothes.

  


At Madam Malkin’s Harry was grateful for Madam Malkin’s help in choosing robes. Fred and George tried to convince him to get a set of neon green robes or maybe some bright gold robes, but Harry shook his head and smiled as Madam Malkin scolded them, indignant on Harry’s behalf.

  


The witch brought out several styles of robes and Harry just told her to choose what she thought would look best and he would try it on. As Harry stepped out from behind the curtains where he changed, he rolled his eyes at the sarcastic comments Snape made about the robes. In fact, one set he bought just because of the sheer amount of caustic comments they had earned him from the Potions Master.

  


When Harry was finished trying on robes, Madam Malkin wrote out the order and assured Harry all of his purchases would be ready before he left for Hogwarts. Harry was surprised when, as he went to pay the witch, Fred stepped in front of him and paid for all of Harry’s robes. When he tried to object, Fred and George teamed up on him.

  


When Fred said it was his way of trying to make it up to him that he had had such an awful summer and what are older brothers for and George suggested that continuing to object meant that Harry was saying he didn’t feel like they were family or that he didn’t care for them, Harry stopped objecting.

  


In Chasm, Harry ran into a problem. Where in Madam Malkin’s Harry stepped behind a curtain to change, Chasm had actual changing rooms. The first time he stepped into a changing room, he jumped as Snape appeared in the small room with him.

  


Fred and George shared a look and then watched, greatly amused, through the open dressing room door as Harry appeared to argue with himself in the mirror.

  


Harry groaned. “Great! How am I supposed to buy clothes without trying them on?” He glared at Snape, who was still in the dressing room between him and the mirror. It wasn’t like Harry could just pick out clothes in his size. Having always worn his cousin’s castoffs, he had never had a chance to figure out what size clothes actually fit him.

  


Severus sneered. “Well, certainly, continue to fool around. It’s not like there are people trying to kill you. And you’ve only been running around Diagon Alley for nearly five hours now.”

  


Harry continued to glare. “Clothes happen to be a necessity. Unless you are suggesting you’d rather I walk around naked?” Harry raised his brows.

  


Severus’ lip curled with disgust. “Seeing you walk around in nothing more than a pair of boxers was sickening enough.” He smirked when realization came to Potter’s face.

  


Harry grimaced as he realized that Snape had already seen him in his boxers. He hesitated a long moment and then shrugged. “Fine. I won’t have to worry about you peeking then. But I _am_ getting new clothes!”

  


That said, Harry proceeded to ignore the sneering man in the dressing room as he tried on various outfits. Again, three outfits he bought just because of how much Snape seemed to hate them.

  


Some outfits he bought because of the way the sales clerk looked at him in them. Harry had never liked the way people stared and admired him just because of the Boy-Who-Lived nonsense, but he rather liked the appreciative looks the clerk gave him in some of the outfits he tried on.

  


He even actually let Fred and George each pick out an outfit for him. The outfits the twins choose were not brightly colored, but they were still outrageous. Fred chose tight leather pants and a tight t-shirt that showed off his toned body, a little too much Harry thought.

  


George chose a pair of low, tight jeans and another tight t-shirt. The jeans were so low that Harry had to try them on without anything underneath (after George promised the clerk he would buy the jeans whether Harry liked them or not). It also took a good five minutes for Harry to get the jeans on, both because they were so tight and because he refused to take his eyes off Snape’s back as he wiggled into them.

  


The jeans were almost indecent in Harry’s opinion. There was a good three inch gap between the top of the jeans and the bottom of the shirt and the jeans were low enough that Harry was half afraid that a wrong move would show off more than he wanted to share with the world in general.

  


Even though Harry was sure he would never wear the outfits the twins picked out, Harry thought they were fun and he decided to buy them anyway.

  


This time when Harry went to pay, George stepped in front of him and paid for him. When Harry started to object, George only said that Fred got to buy his robes, so he was buying Harry’s Muggle clothes. Harry just sighed and shook his head.

  


Leaving the clothing store, Harry and the twins headed back to the twins’ flat. George and Fred insisted that Harry join them for lunch before shutting himself away at Number 12 again. Harry agreed eagerly. While George and Fred were no where near their mother’s equal in the kitchen, Harry was happy to enjoy a meal without having to worry about Ron’s looks and Ginny’s groping.

  


When the meal was finished, Harry reluctantly Flooed back to Grimmauld Place. He picked himself up off the floor and glared at the smirking Potions Master. Before either could say a word and the inevitable fight could break out, Hermione rushed into the sitting room saying, “Good! You’re finally back. I found this spell…”

  


Harry sighed as Hermione dragged him from the room, going on and on about whatever spell she found. Harry didn’t hear any kind of explanation for what the spell did. They made it to the library before Hermione finished telling him everything she had come across in her search and which books she had looked through and what interesting historical facts she came across.

  


Harry’s eyes were a little glazed over by the time she stopped talking and turned and pointed her wand at him. He raised his arms in alarm and said, “Hey, wait! Hermione, what are you doing?”

  


Hermione huffed, “Really, Harry, weren’t you listening at _all_? I just told you! I’m going to try to use the connection between a wizard and his magic to see if I can’t return Snape to his body. At the very least I might be able to give him use of his magic despite his current…form.”

  


Harry’s eyes widened. “Then why are you pointing your wand at me?”

  


“Well, I can’t see him and I’m not sure, without being able to see him, that I could focus the spell properly. I thought I could use the connection between the two of you-”

  


“And what happens if that doesn’t work?!” Harry asked. “You could mess up my magic!”

  


“But Harry, the spell makes allowances for that kind of thing! It has a different form for using a connection to someone not present, or in Snape’s case not completely present,” Hermione said reasonably.

  


“For _married couples_ ,” Severus said, disgusted, as he read the page the book on the table next to Hermione was opened to. “This spell will not work at all in this situation.”

  


“’Mione!” Harry said in disbelief. “The spell is meant for _married_ people? Why would you ever think it would work for me and Snape?!”

  


“Harry, I’ve figured that out! I’ve read the entire chapter three times and I took notes and I know this will work!” Hermione said. “Now, hold still.”

  


Before Harry could say anything more, Hermione started to perform the spell. He gritted his teeth and remained still as Hermione chanted. Mentally, he was agreeing with the scathing diatribe Snape was giving at Hermione’s ‘typically reckless Gryffindor foolishness.’

  


Finally, Hermione stopped chanting and waving her wand and she looked at Harry expectantly. After a few minutes, she sighed and pouted. “Why didn’t it work?”

  


“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because Snape and I aren’t married,” Harry said, speaking through still gritted teeth.

  


“No, I’m sure I adjusted the spell properly,” she said, turning back to the book.

  


When she started muttering to herself, Harry stomped out of the room. Seeing Ginny almost immediately after leaving the room, Harry rushed down to Snape’s private lab. As soon as the door shut, Harry grimly turned to where he and Snape had left off in their search the night before.


	4. Return to Hogwarts

            “I don’t know why it didn’t work!” Hermione huffed yet again. Ron just held his _Quidditch Monthly_ magazine up higher.

            Harry turned to look out the window, ignoring the witch sitting across from him flipping through the old book and the way Ron was sitting as far from him as he could and still be in the same compartment. Harry knew Ron was only sitting in a compartment with him because Hermione had dragged him back here after the meeting between prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl.

            “Shouldn’t you be planning the trouble you’ll be getting into this year?” Severus sneered. After three weeks of not being able to interact with the world except for Harry and a few brief conversations with Albus, Severus was bored enough that nettling Potter was decidedly appealing.

            Harry turned to Snape and raised a brow. “Planning? Giving me more credit than I deserve, Snape. Or maybe less. I don’t need to plan. Trouble finds me on its own.” Harry snorted. “I’m practically a magnet for it.”

            Before Severus could respond, the Weasley boy jumped up and mumbled something about using the restroom before he fled from the compartment.

            “Ten Galleons says he doesn’t come back and if I went looking for him I’d bet I’d find him in the compartment with Dean and Seamus,” Harry said casually to Snape.

            Hermione ignored both Ron’s flight and Harry’s comments and continued to search through the book on her lap, her face a mask of concentration.

            Harry ignored Snape’s sneered comments about Ron’s lack of ‘the exalted Gryffindor bravery’ and watched the compartment door. Ten minutes later, when Snape made another comment on Ron’s actions, Harry let himself be drawn into an argument.

            Harry and Snape continued to argue the rest of the way to Hogwarts. Harry realized how much he was starting to enjoy the verbal sparring when he was disappointed when the train arrived in Hogsmeade. He looked over to see Hermione frowning and muttering as she quickly shoved the book into her bag and then he turned back to Snape.

            “You owe me ten Galleons,” Harry said.

            Severus raised a brow. “I don’t believe I do. I do not gamble and if I did I would not take fools’ bets.”

            Harry snorted and followed Hermione from the train.

*********************************

            With Ron avoiding him and Hermione’s mind on her failure with the spell she’d tried, Harry was left alone with Snape on the way from the train to the carriages. He ended up lucking out and getting in a carriage with Neville and Luna. He frowned when he saw Neville frantically flipping through a textbook.

            “Everything okay, Nev?” Harry asked.

            “No!” Neville looked up at Harry, his face a mask of panic. “I barely get the usual amount of work done over the summer, Harry! With all the extra work we had this summer I didn’t finish! Even with the extra time I still need to finish my Transfiguration essay and-”

            Harry frowned. “Breathe, Neville! Look, I still have some work I need to do to. Why don’t we work together on our essays tonight after the feast?”

            Harry could definitely sympathize with Neville’s dilemma. With everything else that had happened this summer he was going to have to work to catch up on his summer homework. It certainly didn’t help that because of the threats Voldemort had made about attacking Hogwarts the school had been closed for an extra month during the summer in order to check and strengthen the wards. Instead of heading back to Hogwarts on September 1st, the students were returning on September 25th. To make sure the students didn’t fall behind because of this extra long summer break, the professors all assigned extra homework.

            Harry grimaced. “I hadn’t even gotten my textbooks for this year until just last week. I’m sure I’m a lot farther behind that you, Neville.”

            “And yet you had plenty of time to take your Apparition test and to roam about Diagon Alley all day,” Severus drawled. “And you are surprised you haven’t finished your homework? Yes, the Aurors will count themselves lucky to have you.”

            Harry bit back a sharp retort. While Harry had never met two more understanding people than Neville and Luna, Neville was terrified of Snape and Harry didn’t want them avoiding him like Ron was.

            “I’ve finished my work. If you’d like I can help,” Luna said in her dreamy voice.

            Harry looked at the Ravenclaw girl. Luna might act a little out of it and she might talk about things no one else could see or even believed existed, but she was in Ravenclaw for a reason. She was actually incredibly intelligent, a fact that irritated Hermione to no end. And after trying to explain germs to Mr. Weasley, Harry was a lot more sympathetic to her rambling on about creatures he’d never heard of before.

            “If you wouldn’t mind, I think that’d be great,” Harry said.

            Luna gave him a dreamy smile and Neville nodded frantically before turning back to the textbook in his lap. Harry and Luna talked about Luna’s summer which led to a rather lengthy discussion on one of those creatures Harry had never heard of before. Harry was torn between being indignant on his friend’s behalf and biting his lip to keep from laughing at the comments Snape made during his talk with Luna.

            When the carriage came to a stop, Harry followed his friends out and walked up the stairs to the Entrance Hall. He and Neville said goodbye to Luna and sat down at the Gryffindor table. Harry looked around when he noticed the looks and whispers.

            “Harry, where are your glasses?” Lavender asked.

            “And where’d you get those scars?” Parvati asked.

            Before Harry could decide how he wanted to answer, the girls were distracted by Ron loudly recounting the attack on the Burrow. Grateful as he usually was when Ron took the opportunity to make himself the center of attention, Harry breathed a small sigh of relief.

            After a few minutes, Harry realized he hadn’t heard any sarcastic comments since he’d sat down, not even when the girls were staring at him. He looked up and around the room to see Snape standing next to Dumbledore at the Head Table. He watched the two men talk for a minute and then shrugged and turned to watch the first years enter the room.

            The Sorting Hat gave an interesting little speech about unity and not letting prejudices stand in the way of making new friends with a vague yet ominous ending and then the sorting began. Harry cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors when a first year joined them and finally the sorting ended and Dumbledore stood to give his speech.

            He gave the usual warnings about the Forbidden Forest and a few other important bits of information before finally getting to the part Harry had been looking forward to. “And finally I would like to inform you of a few changes in staff. First, Professor Moody has graciously agreed to return and serve as our Defense teacher,” Dumbledore said. Harry snorted, but he knew the other students were unaware that this was in fact the first time Moody would actually be teaching. “And I would also like to introduce Professor Allore who will be taking over as Potions Professor this year.”

            The students’ voices drowned out the Headmaster’s as the students excitedly speculated on what had happened to Snape and, with the exception of the Slytherins, cheered over the news. The Slytherins, Harry noticed, looked sullen and muttered amongst themselves.

            When Dumbledore finally settled the students enough so that he could be heard he continued, “Professor Snape has come across an excellent opportunity for research and, while I know he will be greatly missed-” Dumbledore raised his voice as many students scoffed or laughed. “We are fortunate to have Professor Allore, a Beauxbatons graduate who has recently achieved a Mastery in Potions.”

            Harry watched as a petite blond witch stood and smiled out at the students. She looked friendly. She appeared to be middle-aged, but was still extremely attractive. Harry felt a grin come to his face as he caught sight of the glare Snape was giving the blond witch.

            Snape continued to glare at the witch throughout the feast. Harry guessed it was difficult for him to talk with Dumbledore with so many other people around, but he shrugged and turned his attention to his food. As soon as the feast was over, Harry hurried to Gryffindor Tower and joined Neville in the common room to work on their homework.

            He was briefly reminded of Snape’s presence when the man looked around and commented on the décor, but then Snape wandered off to examine the room and Harry and Neville went to work. They stayed up later than nearly all of the other students and they were exhausted by the time they climbed the stairs to their dorm room, but they managed to finish a good chunk of their homework.

            Harry looked over to the empty bed beside his. It was going to be strange to not have Ron in the dorm room with him. With a sigh he set his wand on his nightstand and started pulling his robes off. _Then again_ , he thought, _maybe it’s better this way. At least with Ron in his own room he won’t have to come up with excuses to avoid me_. Harry flung his robes on the chest at the foot of his bed. And at least the others would be less likely to realize something strange was going on.

            Stripped down to his boxers, Harry climbed into bed and pulled the curtains closed. He was almost asleep when the clouds moved away from the moon and a shaft of moonlight poured in through a crack between the curtains and hit him in the face. Harry blinked his eyes open and with a frown, jerked the curtains completely closed.

            “Potter!” Severus muttered in disgust as he suddenly found himself in the bed with the brat. It was bad enough he was confined to a Gryffindor dorm room with nothing to occupy his time with. He was not going to spend the nights in _bed_ with Potter.

            Harry, still half asleep, jumped away from the area the dark voice came from and fell out of his bed with a yell. The other three boys in his dorm room stuck their head out and looked at him.

            “Harry? Is everything okay?” Neville asked.

            “Another nightmare about You-Know-Who?” Seamus asked.

            “No,” Harry muttered, picking himself up off the cold floor. He glared at Snape who was glaring at him and climbing out of Harry’s bed. “I had a nightmare that Snape was in my bed with me.”

            “I think I’d prefer nightmares about You-Know-Who,” Dean said with a disgusted grimace.

            Neville nodded, eyes wide as he stared at Harry.

            Harry climbed into his bed again and the other boys laid back down. He closed his curtains again and again he heard Snape’s voice in his bed.

            “Potter! Is it too difficult for you to grasp-?” Severus managed to snarl.

            “Since when is my bed a separate room?” Harry asked, annoyed. “I didn’t see you popping into the dressing area in Madam Malkin’s when I was changing behind the curtain either.”

            “Obviously, the fact that the curtain in Madam Malkin’s did not completely close you off from the rest of the store prevented it from being considered a separate room,” Severus said sourly. “Closing the curtains on your bed completely separates you from the dorm room and thus seems to be considered separate for the purposes of our…situation.”

            “Great,” Harry muttered as he flopped down on his back. “So either I get no sleep because of the light in my eyes or I get no sleep because you’re in my bed.” Suddenly, Harry sat up. “Wait.”

            He crawled to the end of the bed and parted the curtains at the foot of his bed just the smallest bit. Then he looked over his shoulder at Snape.

            “I may be incorporeal, Potter, but as I have said, I am _not_ a ghost,” Severus said, his tone making it clear he thought Potter was a complete idiot. “I can not simply move _through_ the curtain.”

            Harry rolled his eyes and jerked open the curtains on the right side of his bed. When Snape left his bed he snapped them closed again and waited for a second. When he didn’t feel Snape’s presence in his bed and he didn’t hear the man, he gave a sigh of relief and threw himself down and went to sleep.

            On the other side of the bedcurtains, Severus paced the dorm room restlessly. While tempting, he was not yet desperate enough for relief from his boredom to annoy Potter all night. That would involve putting up with Potter’s presence and he’d had more than enough of that already.

            After a while, he grew bored with pacing and turned to one of the five windows in the dorm room. The view was pleasant, he could admit that, but he still preferred his dungeons. As the night wore on and Severus watched that shadows lengthen and move across the room and then begin to disappear with the rising of the sun, he knew that he could not pass another night in this fashion.

            At least at Number 12, before going to sleep Potter could lay out several scrolls and parchments for Severus to read over and search through as Potter slept. Severus was far too strong willed to actually lose his sanity to such tedium, but he was used to keeping his mind busy. He would have to speak with Albus about this situation.

            Severus turned a glare to one of the beds. That is, he would speak to Albus if he could get the blasted Gryffindor brat to cooperate. Severus snorted. The boy would probably refuse just to be contrary.

            Of course, Severus was certain he could come up with a way to ‘persuade’ Potter to do what he wanted. Severus smirked and spent the last few hours before the Gryffindor boys woke scheming.

**Author's Note:**

>  **  
> _Reviews are always appreciated!_   
> **


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